.0505 Local Accountability Procedures

         (a)    Promotion decisions shall be made according to local policy and discretion, but shall include statewide student accountability standards at grades 3, 5, 8 and high school. At a minimum, each local board of education shall adopt procedures to ensure that students are treated fairly. The policy shall recognize the statutory authority of the principal to make promotion decisions.

         (b)    Local boards of education policies shall be consistent with statewide student accountability policies. The policies shall include notification and involvement of parents and agreement of parental expectations signed by parents or guardians.

         (c)    School districts shall provide focused intervention to all students who do not meet statewide student accountability standards. This intervention shall involve extended instructional opportunities that are different and supplemental and that are specifically designed to improve these students’ performance to grade level proficiency. Students who do not meet promotion standards shall have personalized education plans with the following components: diagnostic evaluation, intervention strategies, and monitoring strategies. Strategies may include, but are not limited to, alternative learning models, special homework, smaller classes, tutorial sessions, extended school day, Saturday school, modified instructional programs, parental involvement, summer school instruction, or retention.

         (d)    LEAs and schools shall report annually to the Department their progress in increasing the number of students who meet the standard for grade-level promotion. LEAs and schools shall use percentages of students who are above grade-level proficiency and of those who have moved from Level I to Level II to compare progress from year to year. Annually, local boards of education shall report the following information by race, ethnicity, exceptionality, and socio-economic status to the State Board of Education:

                  (1)     number and percent of students promoted by school who did not score at Level III or above on the designated tests at gateways 1, 2, and 3;

                  (2)     number and percent of students who have moved across achievement levels in reading and mathematics at gateways 1, 2, and 3.

         (e)    The NC standardized high school transcript shall certify a level of proficiency in high school courses through both grades and test scores. Test scores must be recorded on the standardized transcript. In order to inform parents and students of student progress, LEAs shall issue the transcript to students at the end of each year.

         (f)     End-of-course test results shall be used as part of the student’s final grade as provided in Rule 6D .0305(c).

 

History Note:  Authority G.S. 115C-12(9b); 115C-81(b)(4); N.C. Constitution, Article IX, Sec. 5;
Eff. December 1, 1999;

                        Amended Eff. April 1, 2005.